Salman Khan on casting couch: It is the most disgusting thing

Salman Khan, who has been in Bollywood for 25 years, addressed the issue of casting couch at a Summit in New Delhi on Thursday.

Mumbai: Salman Khan, who comes up with films that are complete family entertainers, believes in delivering clean cinema. His kind of romance doesn’t include lip-locks or steamy scenes. We have seldom seen him enact intimate scenes. Such is his persona and conviction towards his choice of work.

Casting couch has always been a burning issue often spoken about in Bollywood. The hunk of a superstar, who has been here for over three decades, addressed the issue at a Summit in New Delhi on Thursday.

Asked about the existence of the casting couch in the Hindi film industry, the actor said: “No one has come and confirmed it. I have been there for the longest time, my father has been here (for) more (time) than me. Till today I have not heard anyone come and say it straight out.”

“Now, being a beautiful woman or a man, someone or the other is going to flirt with you,” the actor said, adding that it is different from harassment.

The 52-year-old superstar said: “If someone is there with a principle that you have to sleep with them to get a job, then it is the most disgusting thing ever. I have not heard anything like this. If a lady or a man comes up to me and tells me that something of the sort has happened with them, I will take them down to the cleaners.”

The entertainment industry — be it Hollywood or Bollywood– is having its moment of reckoning in the wake of sexual abuse reports coming in from all quarters. It started with numerous women coming forward to allege that Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein used his position to harass them. Since then, many have come out in the open to talk about sexual advances from big names like Kevin Spacey, James Toback, Ben Affleck, Brett Ratner and Dustin Hoffman.

Salman, who is as ‘sanskaari’ as his onscreen father Alok Nath, recently asked makers of Bigg Boss 11 to get a condom ad standee featuring Bipasha Basu and her real-life husband Karan Singh Grover, removed from the house. He felt the ad was inappropriate for viewing for children who form a major chunk of the audience.

Salman began his journey in filmdom with Biwi Ho To Aisi in 1988, and came into the limelight following his act as Prem in the endearing love saga Maine Pyar Kiya in 1989.

He has essayed multiple action, romantic and comedy roles in projects like Dabangg, Kick, Ek Tha Tiger, Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Sultan. But he has been in the news for many wrong reasons as well.